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Home » Recipes » Appetizers

Modified: Sep 16, 2022 | Categories: Appetizers

Tomato Jalapeno Salsa

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The best tomato jalapeno salsa is chock-a-block with fresh tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro, and a kiss of lime.

Enjoy it on chips, chicken or steak fajitas, or even on a taco salad!

A jar filled with tomato jalapeno salsa.
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How to make tomato jalapeno salsa

Ingredients Needed

  • Tomatoes: Because this is a garden salsa, use whatever you have growing in the backyard!
    • Cherry tomatoes, Brandywine, beefsteak, plum, grape, slicing, heirloom, or sun golds would be amazing in this salsa.
    • And of course, you could always use tomatillos for a burst of citrusy flavor!
  • Jalapenos: To me there’s just something so amazingly floral about a jalapeno that’s picked fresh off the vine.
    • But, if you enjoy the hotter things in life, a seeded habanero will also bring a lot of heat with a kiss of fruity citrus to the salsa.
    • Let your own preferences be your guide to the heat level of this fresh salsa!
  • Green Pepper: This pepper will round out the flavors of the other ingredients and give it a bit of earthy bitterness.
    • But, if you’d like to switch it out for a red bell pepper that will add an extra layer of sweetness to the salsa.
  • Limes: If you’re lucky enough to live in a locale where you can grow citrus, walk out to that tree and grab the juiciest limes you can lay your hands on!
    • If you don’t have that enviable situation, just get the best limes you can find at the grocery store.
    • The key here is, wherever you buy your limes, you want them to be plump and juicy.
  • Cilantro: The big difference between extremely fresh and tender cilantro from the garden or farmers market rather than store-bought cilantro is in the stems.
    • When you have fresh cilantro, you also have the stems and not just the leaves. In fact, some people think the stems are the most flavorful part of the plant!
    • So, when you’re reaching for that bunch of deliciousness, don’t throw away those stems!
  • Garlic: I think garlic adds the perfect rich bite of flavor to this spicy garden salsa.
    • But if you or your family or friends aren’t fans of garlic, feel free to substitute the garlic with shallots.
    • Shallots are the mildest members of the onion family, but they mimic a bit of garlic’s attributes.
A bowl of heirloom tomatoes.

Equipment Needed

  • A cutting board and chef's knife.
  • A food processor or blender. You can also chop all of the ingredients by hand if you don't have either!
  • A spatula for scraping.
  • Jars or containers for storing.

Storage Tips

Store this refrigerator salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 7 days.

If you're canning this recipe, follow the USDA guide or state extension guide for canning.

A birds eye view of tomato salsa.

Recipe Tips, Substitutions and Alternatives

  • Add scallions: Because this salsa is so fresh, you could also use scallions in place of the onions for a bit of extra summer flavor!
  • Skip the sugar: Instead of sugar, you could skip it for a more acidic and tangy salsa.
  • Skip the cilantro: If you’re cilantro averse, you could substitute it with flat-leaf parsley.
  • Add zest: Before juicing the limes, you could zest them too for an extra bit of citrusy flavor in this salsa.

Serving Tip

Serve this salsa with chips and mojitos for the ultimate weekend happy hour!

A clear jar filled with tomato jalapeno salsa.
PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

Garden-inspired recipes:

  • Spicy Zucchini Soup
  • "Fried" Green Tomato BLTs
  • Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
  • Rustic Heirloom Tomato Pizza
  • Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Muffins
  • Strawberry Cucumber Salad
  • Cinnamon Crunch Zucchini Bread
Print

Spicy Garden Salsa

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Homemade garden salsa with tomatoes, jalapeno, bell pepper, cilantro and fresh lime juice.

  • Author: Julie Andrews
  • Prep Time: 10-15 mins
  • Cook Time: 0 mins
  • Total Time: 10-15 mins
  • Yield: Serves 8
  • Category: Condiment, Sauce
  • Method: No-Cook
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 medium garden tomatoes and/or tomatillos, stemmed
  • 1 large or 2 small jalapenos, stemmed and seeded
  • 1 small bell pepper, stemmed and seeded
  • ½ large red onion, peeled
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • Juice of 2 medium limes
  • 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
  • ¼-½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Pinch granulated sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a large food processor bowl. Pulse until desired consistency is reached. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
  2. Place in airtight container for up to 7 days.

Notes

Cooking Tip: Make the salsa as hot or as mild as you please by adjusting the amount of jalapeno you use.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: ⅛ of recipe
  • Calories: 28
  • Sugar: 0g
  • Sodium: 102mg
  • Fat: 0g
  • Saturated Fat: 0g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 6g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 1g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg

Keywords: fresh, blender, spicy, fresh tomatoes, easy, for tacos, best, simple, healthy

Did you make this recipe?

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Taylor says

    September 14, 2016 at 11:17 am

    Just wondering if this is a good one for canning?

    Reply
    • Julie Andrews says

      September 14, 2016 at 8:47 pm

      Hi Taylor! Because the salsa is raw/fresh, I wouldn't recommend canning it as is. You could cook it, then can it, though! And be sure to boil the jars and lids beforehand. I hope that helps. Have a great evening 🙂

      Reply
  2. Sheila Weiss says

    September 11, 2020 at 9:30 pm

    I will NEVER eat store bought salsa again. This was SO easy to make and SO delicious. Wow! I used a poblano pepper because I like it on the mild side. Just amazing, thank you!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Julie Andrews says

      September 12, 2020 at 1:01 pm

      Ah, so happy to hear this, Sheila! It is SO easy to make and difficult to stop eating!

      Reply
  3. Joe says

    August 24, 2022 at 3:09 pm

    This salsa is the BOMB! My wife hates cilantro, so I use lovage (tastes like celery and parsley). It's hard to find lovage, but you can get seeds, easy to grow, and it's a pernnial. I can't make the salsa fast enough. 2-3 quarts a week, and everyone who tries it wants the recipe. Cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, and jalapeños from the garden, no sugar needed. Extra limes with zest.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Julie Andrews says

      August 25, 2022 at 11:59 am

      Ahh yay, so happy to hear you love it, Joe! It's the best!

      Reply
  4. S says

    October 17, 2022 at 3:36 pm

    I love the simplicity of it so will give it a shot. Does it freeze well?

    Reply
    • Julie Andrews says

      October 19, 2022 at 10:16 am

      I haven't tried freezing it and think it probably wouldn't do very well since it's fresh. I would suggest canning it instead (following safe canning practices)! 🙂

      Reply

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hi, i’m julie!

chef, registered dietitian & mom
passionate about simple, healthy cooking

*formerly the gourmet RD*

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